Touch the Sky: Alice Coachman, Olympic High Jumper

by Ann Malaspina, Eric Velásquez (Illustrator)

A biography of the first black woman to win an Olympic gold medal, from her childhood in segregated Albany, Georgia, in the 1930s, through her recognition at the 1996 Olympics as one of the hundred best athletes in Olympic history. Includes bibliographical references.

Genres: Biography, Sports, Picture Books, Nonfiction, African American, History, Poetry

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Ben Truong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Touch the Sky: Alice Coachman, Olympic High Jumper is a children's picture book written by Ann Malaspina and illustrated by Eric Velásquez. It tells the story of how Alice Coachman went from her Georgia hometown to the 1948 London Olympics, becoming the first African-American woman to win an Olympic gold medal.

Alice Coachman Davis was an American athlete. She specialized in high jump and was the first black woman to win an Olympic gold medal.

Malaspina's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. Malaspina, writing in verse, conveys the magnitude of her accomplishments with agility and lyricism. Backmatter includes an author's note, bibliography, and photographs. Velásquez's majestic, thickly painted oils portray Coachman with a quiet serenity and assurance.

The premise of the book is rather straightforward. As a girl, Alice Coachman drew attention in her small Georgia town for her high-jumping skills, even though she used an improvised crossbar made of sticks and rags. After impressing the coach for the Tuskegee Golden Tigerettes and playing with the all-female track team, Coachman set an Olympic trials record and went on to compete at the 1948 Olympic Games in London, becoming the first African-American woman to win gold.

All in all, Touch the Sky: Alice Coachman, Olympic High Jumper is a solid introduction to a lesser-known sports heroine.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Because this is a children's book, I read it from the perspective of a child. This book is inspirational and encourages young girls to reach for the stars.

Alice Coachman, an African-American woman from Georgia, beat the odds by becoming the first African-American Olympic High Jumper. She did so in a time of racism and when the world's economy was not at its best.

While this book is simply written, it has a wonderful message and it is a book you can easily discuss with a young child to a grandmother of 19, which I am.

Recommendation: I highly recommend this book by saying I will be sharing this book with my granddaughters and discussing racism, hard times, dreams, goals, and not letting anyone discourage you from what you want to do in life. I am an educator and have taught high school English for over 24 years. Yet, this book even "reached" me.

[June · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another picture book biography of Alice Coachman, the first black woman to win an Olympic gold medal. Starts with her childhood, being told not to run and to be more lady like to her recognition at the 1996 Olympics as one of the hundred best athletes in Olympic history.

I really enjoyed Velasquez's illustrations, and I had not heard she was named in 1996, at the Summer Games in Georgia, one of the one hundred best athletes in Olympic history. However, I think I found Queen of the Track: Alice Coachman Olympic High-Jump Champion, slightly more interesting with their afterword of how London held the 1948 Olympics while their was still bomb debris in the streets, food shortages...

[Yapha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had never heard of Alice Coachman, the first African American woman to win an Olympic gold medal, or her incredible accomplishments in the high jump. This is a fabulous picture book to share, especially with the Summer Olympics in London coming up.

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great picture book biography that includes information about women's rights and race relations. Perfect to read to those students who loved watching the winter Olympics last month. I enjoyed the photographs the author included of Alice Coachman at the end of the book.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful words and text tell the story of a girl from Georgia who was the first African American woman a win an Olympic gold medal. Includes photos, Author's Note, and Bibliography.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great picture book bio of Alice Coachman, first female African American gold medalist in the Olympics. Might work for elementary school visits.

[Shakemia Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

This biography picture book tells the story of Alice Coachman and her journey to becoming the first African American woman to win a gold medal at the Olympics. At a young age Alice was told to "sit on the porch and act like a lady," but she knew that she was meant for so much more! Her determination, bravery, and courage helped her overcome all obstacles that came her way, including her father. Alice's dream was the "touch the sky," and she did just that in 1948 as a member of the USA Women's Track and Field team! She won a gold medal for as a high jumper. I would recommend this book for grades 1-5. Alice's story is not one that very well-known, and I really enjoyed reading about her journey and accomplishments! I plan to use this book during Black History Month. I generally introduce historical figures to my students through read alouds, and they pick a person for their research project presentation. This book could also be used during a poetry unit because it is written in a rhythmic, poetic style. I consider this a WOW book because I got the opportunity to learn about a historical figure that is not very well-known! The author was very clever and thoughtful when writing about Alice's childhood and journey to an Olympic medal! His repetitiveness is great for younger readers. The illustrations were very large and had vivid colors, which will keep students engaged during reading. I am completely in awe of how beautifully the words and paintings worked together to tell the inspiring story of Alice Coachman.

[Bethany F · Rating 5 out of 5]

This historical fiction text, written in free verse recounts the story of Alice Coachman, a young African American girl that dreamed of becoming an athlete in Albany, Georgia. Set in the 1930's girls, especially African American girls had no place doing such things, and yet Alice was determined to soar. As the story progresses, Alice's "bare feet flying, long legs spinning, braids flapping" made it to become the first African American woman to win an Olympic gold medal.
This text can be used in an elementary classroom to discuss many themes such as perseverance, grit, as well as the segregation and discrimination of the times in the United States. The free verse structure of the text could also be used to serve as a mentor for teaching this type of writing as the author uses repetitive words and phrases to instill emotion in the reader.
Touch the Sky: Alice Coachman, Olympic High Jumper was selected for multiple awards and recognition such as 2013 IRA-CBC Children's Choice, 2013 CBC/NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, as well as 2014 Norman A. Sugarman Distinguished Biography List.

[Greg Cockrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book’s title is Touch The Sky. The author is Ann Malaspina and the Illustrator is Eric Velasquez. The protagonist in this book is Alice’s. Alice was a girl that loved to run and jump. Alice witnessed a track meet event, the High Jump. She really wanted to try. Alice and her friends started making their own high jump out of rags and sticks. Alice was seen jumping by the rent collector and got asked to join a track and field team for an event they needed a jumper. After she won first place at the meet the coach came back to their home and asked Alice to enroll at Tuskegee. This was a step in the right direction for Alice’s dream to be at the Olympics one day. And finally her dream came true and she won the gold medal in the high jump at Olympics. I would definitely get this book for my classroom library because I think it shows the reader to always follow your dreams.

[AMY · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful oil paintings that look realistic throughout this book. Great story of a girl from Albany, GA in the 1930s who wants to try the high jump. She later competes in the olympics and becomes the first African-American woman to win a gold medal as a high jumper. This one is sure to win an award for the story and illustrations. It has great additional information at the end of the book. I would definitely buy for my school. Highly recommended for Grades 3-5.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Done in lyrical prose, this is the perfect compliment to Queen of the Track: Alice Coachman Olympic High-Jump Champion. It describes Alice Coachman's long struggle and many accomplishments on her way to becoming the first female African-American Olympic medalist. Very well written, beautifully illustrated, and thoroughly researched as evidenced by the detailed afterword. A solid edition to any collection.

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love biographies in picture book format and this one certainly was well worth the purchase for my elementary library. We have many students that try track and field in middle school and this book is my introduction to some of the field events. What an inspiration!

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting biographical book about the first Black woman to win an Olympic gold medal. The text was a struggle for me in parts, where parts flowed, and others didn't. There would be rhyming lines, and then suddenly none for awhile. Consistency would have improved this some.

[Marcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully illustrated, poetic story of Alice Coachman, the first Black woman to win an Olympic gold medal (1948 London games). An inspiring athlete who I had never heard of, she overcame the oppressive poverty (and racism) of the south to become a track and field megastar.

[Stephanie Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Biography of the first black woman to win an Olympic gold medal. Wonderfully written, nicely illustrated. Highly relatable for kids.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great story for track and field lovers

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Children will be inspired by this biography of the first black woman to win an Olympic gold medal.

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 4 out of 5]

How Alice Coachman first saw high jump, joined the Tuskegee track & field team, and eventually made it to the Olympics team and a gold medal.

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

In verse. Tells Coachman's story from childhood through the Olympics.

It's always interesting to see the pictures/illustrations of high jump before people started doing it backwards!

[Grace Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are looking to add an Olympian to your elementary biography section, this is an excellent choice (and it's a sport that students don't have a lot of knowledge about).

[Donna Marx · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the unique lyrical language used to tell this important story. The illustrations are amazingly realistic.

[Joselyn Guizar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the illustration in the book and the moral of the story!

[Audrey Snow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alice Coachman was the first African American female Olympic high jumper. In the 1930s, in Albany, Georgia, Alice Coachman was an active young girl who kept being told to "sit and be a lady". Alice had a teacher that knew there was something special about her. She took Alice to a track meet and this is where Alice proclaimed that she wanted to high jump and touch the sky! Alice didn't have a place to practice so she built her own high jump with rags and sticks. In high school, Alice was asked to join the Tuskegee Golden Tigrettes where she won her first national medal. Thanks to sucking on a sour lemon, hard work, and bare feet flying, Alice Coachman won the gold medal in the 1948 Olympics.

Touch the Sky is historical fiction that would work for a read-aloud for kindergarten through 1st or independent reading for 2nd through 5th grades. One of the messages in this story is to never give up and to always reach for the stars or "touch the sky". I think a great activity to do in the classroom after reading this book would be to have students write down how they want to "touch the sky". This could be a good way for them to use their voice in their writing and to express their ambition. Something else a class could do, depending on the grade level, could be an activity involving showing what happens versus telling what happens. The writing in Touch the Sky uses a lot of descriptive language and this book could be a great mentor text for a mini-lesson on word choice.

Touch the Sky is a very inspiring book for young girls who need to be told that they can accomplish anything they set their mind to. This is a WOW book for me because I believe everyone should try and "touch the sky" and it contains a great message for young girls to not give up, no matter the obstacle.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Touch the Sky: Alice Coachman, Olympic High Jumper, written by Ann Malaspina and illustrated by Eric Velasquez, is nominated for the 14-15 South Carolina Picture Book Award.

Touch the Sky gives young readers a closer look at a sports figure they may not know much about. Alice Coachman, a young, black girl from Georgia, wanted to fly through the air. Even though things were not always easy for Alice and her family in the South in the 1930s, Alice always dreamed of doing more than people had planned for her.

After seeing a track meet for the first time, Alice knew she was meant to soar. With the help of her friends, she practiced high jumping, and she was soon invited to join the Tuskegee Golden Tigerettes. Alice eventually went on to win national medals, she attended Tuskegee Institute High School, and she competed in various track and field events.

Segregation still closed many doors for Alice, but she didn't let that stop her. This National Champion high jumper went on to compete in the 1948 Olympic Games in London. Alice not only competed, but she won the only gold medal for the U.S. women track and field team. Even today, Alice Coachman is recognized as one of the most gifted athletes in Olympic history.

Touch the Sky is a great book for teaching the importance of perseverance through difficult obstacles. Alice Coachman battled prejudice and the wishes of her own family to achieve her dream. She let nothing, not even her own doubts, stop her. That is an example that anyone can stand to follow.

Photographs and an author's note at the end of the book provide more information about this awe-inspiring athlete. I'm hoping that many of my students use this book as a springboard for research during Black History and Women's History Months. This book could even add to discussions about segregation, inequalities in women's and men's sports programs, and the history of the Olympic games.

[Addie Lauver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Malaspina, Ann. Touch the Sky. Albert Whitman & Company, 2012. 30 p. Gr. 1-4
This non-fiction biography is an inspirational story about Alice Coachman who becomes an Olympian. Her Papa wanted her to sit on the porch and act like a lady. Her Mama gave her chores to do like cooking, picking cotton, gathering plums, and pecans. Alice was from Albany, Georgia and there was always work for her in the 1930’s. Alice’s teacher saw something special in her and so she took her to the track where she was exposed to the high jump. However, girls like Alice were not able to practice at the track. Then Alice and her friends got busy and made their own sticks and bar and she began to jump. The high school coach needed a jumper and with that she became part of the team. Then she became part of a coach’s famous team, the Tuskegee Golden Tigerettes. At the big meet she won her first national medal. Her Papa was proud but wanted her home and Mama admired her medal but told her to remain humble. She then became part of the Tigerettes team and school but, to do this she had to work off her fees. She made it to the Olympics and she set a new record of 5 feet, 6 & 1/8 inches. Alice had finally touched the sky..
Connecting books like these to the classroom is important because these stories are about real people and their accomplishments and children see people like them and realize that they can accomplish their dreams as well. By connecting this book we could ask students did you ever have a goal or dream you reached? What was that dream and how did you feel when you accomplished it? Another way that we can connect this story to our classroom and students is to use vocabulary words from the story and relate it to the student and the story. One example is to ask what does it mean to be humble why is it important? Allow students to think of it and review what is, why it is important, and the effects it can have on others around you.

[Margo Tanenbaum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Young Alice Coachman, growing up in segregated Albany, Georgia, in the 1930's, just couldn't help herself. She wanted to soar and touch the sky.

"Bare feet shouldn't fly./Long legs shouldn't spin./Braids shouldn't flap in the wind./'Sit on the porch and be a lady,' Papa scolded Alice," this book about the future Olympic athlete begins. When she watched boys doing the high jump at a track meet, "Alice's feet tingled, wanting to try."

We see Alice's dreams growing bigger as she gets older, until finally the high school coach needed a jumper for a track and field tournament in Alabama. Her family was too poor to afford proper clothes for the competition, so her teachers pitched in and bought her shoes, shorts, and bright white socks. For the first time, she competed with the best black athletes in the South. In 1939, she won her first national medal, and soon she was asked to enroll at Tuskegee, where she'd be able to train with the best. Alice worked hard to pay her school fees.

Alice dreamed of the Olympics, but with the world consumed by war there were no games to enter. Could she still compete in 1948? Would she achieve her dream of a gold medal in the high jump--and finally touch the sky?

Written in a simple yet poetic style, this book captures the spirit of a true American heroine and a pioneer in sports, one who is not widely known today. It's a real "girl power" story, as well as a tale about overcoming prejudice. The stunning large format oil paintings, by illustrator Eric Velasquez, with their vibrant colors and sweeping compositions, capture the intensity of Alice's story, and especially of her jumping.

An author's note shows photographs of the real Alice and her teammates and tells about what happened to Alice after her triumph at the Olympics. A bibliography is also included.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Touch the Sky
Author: Ann Malaspina
Genre: Biography

Summary: This is the inspirational story about how Alice Coachman, just a girl from Albany, becomes an Olympic gold medalist. When she was young her father didn't want her playing with the boys or jumping around. Her job was to act like a lady and help out around the house with all the chores. Although she continued to help out around the house she also continued to practice her jumping, with the help of her friends. Eventually she attends Tuskegee Institute High School and from there she receives all the help she needs to obtain her ultimate prize.

Criteria for nonfiction: This book is most definitely accurate because not only are the sources listed on the last page but there are real pictures of her with captions that describe what was happening in that moment. I would say, again, that the age group this book was intended for is maybe 3rd or 4th grade. I think the material covered and the pictures that are show would be appropriate for that age level. The essential details and info for this topic are covered. The information at the end of the book is very informative. They contribute greatly to the understanding of the book. All of the information backs up the words in the story.

Classroom Connection: To be able connect and engage my students in the story of Alice and all of her characteristics I would have a large poster paper on the board and would have every student give a few words that they think describe her. This would lead to a strategy called Head Hearts Hands and Feet Lesson. This lesson will get student's thinking about the character's motivation and passion.
Note:Lesson Idea is From Reading Wellness Lessons in Independence and Proficiency by Jan Miller Burkins and Kim Yaris Stenhouse Publishers, 2014

[Megan Mandl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personal Response: I really liked the repetition in this book, like how it repeated "over the crossbar she flew" and "took off, bare feet flying, long legs spinning in the wind". Children would also like that because it helps them stay with the story and participate by repeating the words with the teacher. The illustrations were also very unique, and the colors used reflected the mood of the words on the page. Her story was very inspirational.

Purposes:
- ages 6-9
Read Aloud to Make Curricular Connection
- This book could be read if students are studying the Olympics, or it would be good to just read it during a time when the Olympics are going on.
- This book would also be good to use to talk about the racism in the mid- to late- 1900s or the civil rights movement, as Alice was discriminated against even though she was an incredible athlete.
Independent Reading:
- This story would be helpful for a child who is struggling with low confidence because it shows that you can achieve anything you put your mind to if you're willing to put in the work.
For Narrative:
- This book could be used to talk about repetition, as it has a few select phrases that are repeated off and on throughout the story, and help highlight how the story moves along.
- This book could also be used to talk about theme, as it has the themes of hard work and dedication.
For Nonfiction:
- This book includes real photographs and further information about Alice at the end of the book, and cites the sources which are credible (such as The Alice Coachman Track & Field Foundation).

[Ms. Tongate, TLC Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read-aloud for secondary students for the upcoming Olympics. Alice Coachman was the first African American woman to win an Olympic gold medal (high jump) and the only woman to win a gold in 1948. She won hers in 1948 in London. King George VI of London presented Alice with her gold medal. She was invited to meet President Truman, and Eleanor Roosevelt. Alice Coachman was even asked to pose for a poster for Coca-Cola. (1948)... In 1949, she received a B.A. degree in home economics from Albany State College and began teaching high school physical education in Albany, Georgia. She also taught at South Carolina State College, Albany State College, and Tuskegee High School.

1996 Alice Coachman was elected to the US Olympic Hall of Fame. When the Summer Games came to Atlanta, Alice was named one of the 100 best athletes in Olympic history. Alice Coachman became a teacher, track coach, mother of two kids, and wife. Today the Alice Coachman Track and Field Foundation celebrates her life and helps young athletes.

*Great read-aloud for Women's History for middle and high school students. With hard work and a dream, anything can happen.